Category Archives: child custody

For years Illinois had a “grandparents’ rights” statute in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution Act. Then in 2002, Wickham vs. Byrne, 769 N.E.2d 1 (2002) was decided in the Illinois Supreme Court holding that the grandparents’ rights portion of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution Act was unconstitutional. Then in 2016, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution…

In Illinois, Sole allocation of parental responsibilities (formerly known as “sole custody”) allows a parent to be solely responsible for making decisions for a minor child. Statutorily, these decisions are broken down into four different areas, namely: Education, Religion, Medical, and Extra Curricular Activities. Generally, the parent who is allocated sole responsibility over these areas…

New relationships of your ex can always be full of concern. You find yourself dealing with a third-party who has not been vetted and someone who your ex has selected. While many significant others are harmless, in some instances, they can have a criminal past. This becomes especially concerning if they are classified as a…

Before 2016, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution Act allowed a court to grant a custodial parent permission to remove a minor child from Illinois when it is in the child’s best interests. The parent seeking the removal had the burden of proving by a preponderance of evidence that the removal would be in the child’s…

When changing anyone’s name in Illinois you must proceed under statute 735 ILCS 5/21-101 which requires that the person whose name is being changed be an Illinois resident for at least 6 months. You may change your name, your spouse’s name and your children’s name all together, if you so desire, under the same petition.…